A Born Racer
by Beloved Dawn
Summary: More than runners missed the girl when she stopped racing and took on responsibility.


_I know nothing of the inner workings of motocross or anything. I was just volunteering and this sroty popped into my head. Some of what I describe actually happened. Other parts are from my imagination._

_Enjoy_

_If I got to pick, I'd choose motocross to own for all the advertisements and such. However, owning anything recognizeable is not something I can claim. _

* * *

Akiko had been running the National Youth Motocross Championship for years. No one else really wanted to be a part of it. There was no glory doing the youth end of things, but she was an avid motocross racer herself, and wanted things done right for the youths so they knew what to expect when they were finally old enough to compete with the adults. Akiko did not want them wandering in unsure like she herself had her first year, resulting in a broken collarbone.

This year was special though. Her personal favourite was finally old enough to be in the U16 age division, the last race before joining the adult nationals. This kid had been coming since age seven, and Tenoh Haruka was finally allowed in the big race. She'd only been ready since she insisted in going up to the large bikes an age category ahead at age twelve. Now was the time for the rest of Japan to see what Akiko had already noticed.

*****

_The seven and eight year olds were racing. It's absolutely adorable, of course. They're not even really big enough to start the bikes, but that's the smallest size they make. The one that wins is usually the one that falls the least. One of last year's returners had shown promise. If Akiko had been a betting woman, that would have been her choice._

_And she would have lost._

_The first hint had been the speed with which this one new kid had shot out of the gate. Normally you didn't see starts that fast until the U12 division. Then there were the jumps._

_Akiko had never before seen a seven year old take the jumps at full speed. The kid didn't get much__ airtime, but that child had _gotten_ the airtime, and that was amazing enough._

_The kicker had been when she had been trying to pass on a corner. She did manage to get around, but not without spilling the other kid, Akiko's old favourite, into the dirt._

_As the kid went by, she could have sworn she heard a young voice talking._

"_That's what you get for driving like an old lady."_

_*****_

_The U10 age division was racing. There were rumours that one of the competitor's older brother was threatening the kids to let his brother win. It really bothered Akiko. She believed entirely in fair play._

_A little blonde haired kid won. One of the competitors was very sulky about this. However, there was nothing his brother could do about it, due to a broken arm. The black eye looked painful too._

_Akiko felt vindicated in her beliefs. The best person had won. At more than just the race._

_*****_

_U12's were always the most unruly age category. They weren't quite big enough to move up to the bigger bikes, but they were pre-teens, and so were obviously well past the age for "baby bikes". It was the one age group Akiko didn't like. _

_This year was different, though. There was much sulking, but not a lot of complaining. One of the twelve year olds from the previous year who had admitted to disliking the whining as much as Akiko herself finally clued her in._

"_It was a new girl, one of the eleven year olds. The guys were being annoying, as always, and she just rounds on them, hands on her hips, and says "Maybe when you don't act like spoiled little babies you'll get to ride adult bikes. For now I'm sure they have __too much power to put in the hands of someone like _you!_" It was priceless! Especially the boys expressions._

"_They asked if she had ever ridden one of the big bikes. She responded with "Of course. But I'm willing to take the downsizing happily if it means I can put you in your proper place!"" _

_There had been a lot of angry faces when Tenoh Haruka had won by half a lap. Not Akiko's, however. By this point she was really quite fond of the girl._

_*****_

_Akiko had been nervous when her favourite racer's blonde head hadn't been seen at the start of the U15 race. She was a major favourite, and Akiko wouldn't put it past some of the boys to try and take her out of the race. Her name was on the schedule, so it wasn't like they were facing a surprise. _

_She had finally shown up, when most of the racers were already halfway through the first lap. _

_She started passing the slow ones even before she'd completed one lap. _

_In the end, Haruka had ended up first by over half a lap. It was unheard of for someone to start that much behind, and finish an equal amount ahead. She had just set a new track record. Akiko was sure she couldn't have been prouder were it her own child receiving the trophy._

_*****_

Akiko hadn't seen Tenoh Haruka onthe list for this year, but was sure she wouldn't miss it. Young Haruka never missed this. Akiko was sure she had just signed up under a different name, so as to not scare away competition. Last year half the race had dropped out upon finding out she was a part of it.

She eagerly scanned the crowd of faces before the start of the race, but didn't notice the one she was looking for.

When the trophy had gone instead to a boy named Masaya, Akiko was so mad she almost wanted to cry.

There were weird attacks going on all over Tokyo, but nothing stirred the sense of injustice in Akiko's heart as Tenoh Haruka not winning. It just wasn't right.


End file.
